Where transparency exists accountability inevitably follows.
This is an extract from a post on SFM from 2015. The subject was Transparency and Slow Glass
The message then was that football governance has to catch up in realising that football has to become more transparent in its dealing with supporters and so more accountable to them.
That transparency is already here via social media because of the ability to share, but the light of truth is constrained by Slow Glass.
Slow Glass from a short story by Bob Shaw slows down the light passing through it.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_of_Other_Days
In the story and others, you have Slow Glass of different thickness in terms of the time it takes for the light to emerge.
You have Glass a day thick/long to Glass ten years thick/long and more.
Resolution 12, if measured from the Celtic AGM in 2013 when it was tabled and adjourned, has taken 6 years for the light of truth to emerge, although it could have happened sooner had main stream media removed the dust of PR that slows the light, but light is inexorable and it is emerging at an archive of events since 2011 that can be read at
https://www.res12.uk/
It is in two parts.
Part One relates to events in 2011/12 including a very interesting link between UEFA Licence 2011 and the commissioning of Lord Nimmo Smith to investigate use of EBTs with side letters by Rangers FC where non-disclosure benefited Rangers FC in 2011 AND 2012.
Part Two concentrates SFA activity (or lack of it) from 2014 to date as result of the adjournment of Resolution 12 in November 2013 that provided shareholders with the authority to seek answers.
The archive has been constructed in chronological sequence to help readers understand better the detail and separate what took place in 2011/12 which is in the past, from the SFA handling of shareholders legitimate enquiries from 2014/15 to date, which remains current and is a mirror of SFA performance in respect of the national football team.
Many narratives will emerge as a result of the transparency, some Celtic related, but a system of governance, that is accountable in some way to supporters as stakeholders in the game, can only benefit the supporters of all clubs and they are encouraged to read through the archive.
As Phil Mac Giolla Bhain has written here in respect of Celtic and the SFA
accountability has to be the outcome of transparency to wipe the face and soul of Scottish football clean.
How that is achieved will be up to Scottish football supporters everywhere to take forward via their Associations and Trusts, in collaboration with the clubs they support, but it does seem to me, and I know others with more legal experience, that the SFA would find it difficult to resist a challenge to their refusal to engage with people (in this case minority shareholders of member clubs) who are affected by decisions that they make.
https://twitter.com/simonpia1/status/1125885247546118144?s=21
One for the Hibbees. Although they probably knew this anyway.
ernie 8th May 2019 at 20:29
============================
I too like the idea that football success is based purely on a meritocracy. Sadly though that is becoming less and less of a case. A glance at the two 'Champions' League finalists shows that to be the case. At the very least the tournament should be renamed.
The Champions League final in Madrid on 1st June 2019 will see Tottenham Hotspur compete with Liverpool for the honour of lifting the cup first raised by Billy McNeill. Cesar was not just the first Briton to lift the cup but due to Real Madrid being awarded the previous Champions Cup 1967 was the first year the current cup was the trophy. Accordingly Cesar was the first person, from any country, to lift the cup.
I hope that any comparisons which may be made include the fact that in 1966/67 Celtic were in the competition as Champions of Scotland.
Neither of this year's finalists are Champions of England. The last time one of them were Champions of England was thirty years ago and for the other you have to go back sixty years.
Whatever this cup stands for now it has little or nothing to do with Champions. If it did all Champions would be in it and any team which was not its League's Champion would not.
Maybe the time has come for some honesty and a rebranding for the EUFA Euros, Pounds, Petro Dollars and Sugar Daddy Financed Cup.
On 1st June it may look like the same cup raised aloft but it's not. A Champions League trophy awarded to one of two teams neither of whom were Champions might be at the end of a fabulous game of football but it can never determine which Champions prevailed over the other Champions.
I look forward to the inaugural EUFA European Clubs From Countries With Vast Television Audiences Cup.
That would put an end to such unsporting unseemly sights such as a club from a small country mustering a team from within a thirty mile radius on modest means and then sweeping all before them.
On the other hand maybe "Champions" has another meaning?
A Brysonic meaning such as "my team"?
A Reganesque meaning such as "if you're going to cheat that much you're Champions in my eyes."?
A Doncaster meaning such as "look at all those honours; and I know because I gifted them to them, they must be Champions."?
A King meaning such as "we're in tangible distance so all we have to do is touch them and then, following The Royal and Ancient Rules of Tig, we're Champions."?
A SMSM meaning such as "…[insert lie as required/dictated by Mr Traynor]…"?
O what a tangled web we weave
When first we practise to deceive.
And that's just at first. When you continue to deceive the web becomes tangled to the point that it is scarcely recognisable as a web. However instead of trying to extricate themselves from the tangle the usual suspects continue to deceive and entangle and we are expected to stand back and pretend that this sort of behaviour is normal.
A Hard Rain Is Gonna Fall and many are going to be angry because nobody told them that preparing with wellies and umbrellas would be prudent.
LUGOSI 9th May 2019 at 07:35
"..look forward to the inaugural EUFA European Clubs From Countries With Vast Television Audiences Cup…"
**************
That's a fine piece, LUGOSI.
It seems remiss of UEFA and the TV moguls to allow mere geographical classification to prevent them including India and China as belonging to 'Europe'- what audiences might they not attract were they to decree that for football purpose, those countries are in Europe.
Surely, if a little Governance body like the SFA has the power to alter the birth certificate of a new club in such way as to make it 140-odd years older and award it the sporting honours and titles of a dead club , the mighty UEFA can surely play fast and loose with reality, truth and common sense?
And before I leave the house to get the bus in to Glasgow for a rogan josh and a Wetherspoons' pint and for an afternoon of setting the world to rights with two other auld geezers, let me give you the text of a letter to 'the Scotsman' this morning:
".Just before he died Professor Sir Stephen Hawking completed his paper on a parallel universe.
In it, Rangers clap Celtic on to the pitch for winning the league"
Does anyone else use Weatherspoons, or buy Dysons these days????
No me
JC there is also another universe where there is an honest SFA.
There is no 'Rangers'.
And either Kilmarnock or Aberdeen are sportingly clapping CFC onto the pitch.
I think we just have to send the SFA through a black hole…
reading the local paper to learn that Camelon Juniors have had the same letter as Haddington et al.
They dont mention if the same typos were present.
Does anyone have a count of the clubs rejected by the SFA?
Back in 2012 the SFA fixed it so that no other non-league club, especially The Spartans, would go up against Sevco for election to Div. 3 of the then SFL. If The Spartans had put their name forward, the outcome of the vote of the 39 EFL clubs would have been interesting.
Flywheel
Shyster Flywheel Shyster 9th May 2019 at 12:44
Back in 2012 the SFA fixed it so that no other non-league club, especially The Spartans, would go up against Sevco for election to Div. 3 of the then SFL. If The Spartans had put their name forward, the outcome of the vote of the 39 EFL clubs would have been interesting.
………………………………………………………………..
Flywheel
The curious thing is that in 2012 there was never a vacancy.
I have since asked some of the directors of both the two obvious aspirant clubs, Spartans and Cove, and also existing SFL clubs and am certain there was never any opportunity or situation to "invite" clubs to apply in the manner of the previous invitations to apply that brought in clubs like Ross County, Inverness CT, Elgin City FC, Peterhead Meadowbank Thistle aka Livingston and Annan.
You might assume that the reason there never was a vacancy was because because The SFA had pre- agreed with all in their inner sanctum that after the intended pre-pack that Rangers had become would purge and cleanse their debts and continue unscathed.
That didn't quite happen as we know and liquidation was the outcome of the vote by people and companies owed money.
The 5 way agreement contained a way forward to keep Rangers at the top (and the commercial revenues in place).
The subsequent rebukes by both the SPL clubs following fan rebellion at season ticket time and then by the SPL clubs (despite the outrageous threat of an "invitees – only" SPL2) was wonderful and we have people like the late Turnbull Hutton to thank.
So the plan for a no change Rangers after a short long weekend pre-pack failed and in time the previous club became nothing more than a basket of the playing assets and a management team who didn't want to do walking away.
They morphed first into The Rangers (Charles Sevco Business) and they would soon replace the Rangers FC in liquidation and play in the 3rd division.
Oh and they bought the history and all the silverware for £1 or something like that but its all a bit secretive.
No vacancy for aspirant clubs ever existed.
Neither Alan Macrae of Cove nor Craig Graham of Spartans the respective and well connected chairmen or others were even given a sniff and may even have been advised not to rock any boats during the period of uncertainty.
7 years on.
Did Longmuir and Doncaster and Regan follow the rules as laid out in their constitutions over the acceptance of Sevco into division 3 and the cup game at Brechin as an unseeded entity?
I'd say they certainly did not but the baddies as John Clarke would call them held rank then and they and their successors are still holding rank today some 7 years on.
So move along now.
Nothing to see there and just be glad that Scottish football has the big Glasgow clubs and their 4 times plus a year derbies because that is what fuels the TV money top to bottom.
With respect to the play-offs from the EoS League. Of the 3 conference winners only Broxburn Athletic's Albyn Park has floodlighting. If the possession of floodlights was a mandatory requirement for promotion to the Lowland League then this should have been made public well before season's end.
In which case Whitehill Welfare should have been replaced by Broxburn in the LL. Although, it should rightly have been Bonnyrigg with dispensation to get floodlights installed by end of 2019-2020.
The SFA stinks.
Flywheel
https://twitter.com/rsmorrow1964/status/1126401451033530369?s=21
Did someone mention the OF?
Finloch 9th May 2019 at 13:50
No vacancy for aspirant clubs ever existed.
Neither Alan Macrae of Cove nor Craig Graham of Spartans the respective and well connected chairmen or others were even given a sniff and may even have been advised not to rock any boats during the period of uncertainty.
———————————————————————-
I recall at the time that Craig Graham was questioned by the Edinburgh Evening News about The Spartans applying for the SFL should a place become vacant with the promotion of Dundee to replace Rangers in the SPL. I thought his response was that they would not apply. I must have wrongly read between the lines that the SFA had influenced that decision.
Flywheel
Shyster Flywheel Shyster 9th May 2019 at 12:44
Back in 2012 the SFA fixed it so that no other non-league club, especially The Spartans, would go up against Sevco for election to Div. 3 of the then SFL. If The Spartans had put their name forward, the outcome of the vote of the 39 EFL clubs would have been interesting.
_________________________
The pyramid system was promised to clubs below league level. The Spartans could have rocked the boat, but didn’t, obviously convinced that their silence was in the interests of Scottish Football as whole.
Finloch 9th May 2019 at 13:50
The curious thing is that in 2012 there was never a vacancy.
______________
That’s correct, in the sense that applications weren’t invited. There was a space, but no advertised vacancy.
Shyster Flywheel Shyster 9th May 2019 at 13:55
With respect to the play-offs from the EoS League. Of the 3 conference winners only Broxburn Athletic's Albyn Park has floodlighting. If the possession of floodlights was a mandatory requirement for promotion to the Lowland League then this should have been made public well before season's end.
______________________________
As I understand it (and easyJambo has a better handle on this than me) clubs had to apply including a bond of £2000, and they did so in good faith, with Haddington Athletic, as an example spending £30,000 getting their ground tidied up. As an aside, Camelon Juniors stumped up the two grand, this a club which was reported to have only £4 in the bank at the end of last season. However, rather late in the day the SFA introduced a floodlight criteria which did not previously exist. Thus several clubs lost their deposit and chance of registration at a higher level.
Meanwhile, political opportunism or not…………………
Motion Number: S5M-17235
Lodged By: Neil Findlay
Date Lodged: 09/05/2019
Title: SFA Moves the Goalposts on Bonnyrigg's Application
Motion Text:
That the Parliament expresses its concern at the decision of the SFA to reject Bonnyrigg Rose’s application for full membership; believes that the club, which won the 2018-19 East of Scotland league, applied to join the Lowland league, but that, due to a lack of floodlights at its home ground, New Dundas Park, this application was rejected; understands with concern that the membership condition regarding floodlighting was brought in after the club applied; considers this to be a very unfair way to treat a team that has invested heavily in its stadium, with fundraising ongoing to install floodlights within the next 12 months, and squad and that applied in good faith under the existing rules at the time, and calls on the SFA to think again in relation to Bonnyrigg’s application.
Shyster Flywheel Shyster 9th May 2019 at 14:22
Finloch 9th May 2019 at 13:50
No vacancy for aspirant clubs ever existed.
Neither Alan Macrae of Cove nor Craig Graham of Spartans the respective and well connected chairmen or others were even given a sniff and may even have been advised not to rock any boats during the period of uncertainty.
———————————————————————-
I recall at the time that Craig Graham was questioned by the Edinburgh Evening News about The Spartans applying for the SFL should a place become vacant with the promotion of Dundee to replace Rangers in the SPL. I thought his response was that they would not apply. I must have wrongly read between the lines that the SFA had influenced that decision.
Flywheel
……………………………………………………………………………..
No I think you are calling it just about right.
The record shows no vacancy* ever existed for any club to "apply".
A little bit of paper speculation occurred around the public demise of Rangers FC but the then unholy trinity of football authorities wanted to keep a Rangers Institution as high up the leagues as they could.
And part of the plan was some well informed, well regarded and also well briefed chairmen not rocking any boats during the period of crisis and instability.
Quite how the fast forwarding of Charles of Normandy's basket of assets, under the Sevco project, fitted in with the league and association constitutions has always been beyond me.
*WE ALL KNOW THERE WAS A VACANCY AND SEVCO WHO DID NOT MEET THE CRITERIA FOR SFL LEAGUE MEMBERSHIP WERE SHOEHORNED INTO IT ON THE BACK OF THE SECRET 5 WAY AGREEMENT AND NO OTHER CLUBS GOT A CHANCE
But nobody important enough asked the questions then in the stampede to move on and since then Sevco has become Rangers and even organisations like the BBC are not allowed to mention the Sevco name or question the provenance of the truly wondrous transmogrification.
One for the lawyers. Do Bonnyrigg have any legal case they could pursue.
Effectively they and the other clubs who lost their bond money have been the subjects of a scam.
It cannot be acceptable that the rules can be changed retrospectively as it's contrary to natural justice and legal convention.
WRT the SFA and its underwhelming performance – especially since 2011/12 ;
Has the SFA excelled at anything in recent years…
in relation to either the national team (men's) or in relation to the senior clubs?
Like a drunk after chucking out time, the SFA seems to just listlessly stumble along – from one self-inflicted shambles to the next.
Never learning, never improving.
Everybody (?) now seems to despise the SFA, for varying reasons.
Does the Scottish game actually need such an organisation?
Hypothetically, could the majority of clubs not sack the SFA – and start another, professionally run, national association?
Finloch 9th May 2019 at 13:50
Motion Number: S5M-17235
Lodged By: Neil Findlay
Date Lodged: 09/05/2019
Title: SFA Moves the Goalposts on Bonnyrigg's Application
Motion Text:
That the Parliament expresses its concern at the decision of the SFA to reject Bonnyrigg Rose’s application for full membership; believes that the club, which won the 2018-19 East of Scotland league, applied to join the Lowland league, but that, due to a lack of floodlights at its home ground, New Dundas Park, this application was rejected; understands with concern that the membership condition regarding floodlighting was brought in after the club applied; considers this to be a very unfair way to treat a team that has invested heavily in its stadium, with fundraising ongoing to install floodlights within the next 12 months, and squad and that applied in good faith under the existing rules at the time, and calls on the SFA to think again in relation to Bonnyrigg’s application.
————————————————————–
This is not shoehorning Sevco into the SFL, this is about winning promotion fairly from level 6 to level 5. My own club LTHV were previously denied promotion from the EoSL to the LL due to not making ground requirements, but the rejection of Bonnyrigg Rose is unfair and stinks of cheating by the SFA. Could this rejection be due to Bonnyrigg being a Junior Club up until last season. As were the other EoS conference winners: Broxburn and Penicuik.
Interesting to see what happens when the West Juniors join in.
Flywheel
Shyster Flywheel Shyster 9th May 2019 at 13:55
With respect to the play-offs from the EoS League. Of the 3 conference winners only Broxburn Athletic's Albyn Park has floodlighting. If the possession of floodlights was a mandatory requirement for promotion to the Lowland League then this should have been made public well before season's end.
================================
Penicuik also has floodlights and was granted a licence earlier this week.
As I understand it, the Lowland League does not require clubs to have floodlights. However in order to join the LL, you have to be a licensed club. It was the licensing requirements that changed in December 2018 to introduce the floodlight requirement into the "Entry" licence award. All LL clubs current have an "Entry" level licence.
That being the case, then Civil Service Strollers, Vale of Leithen and Whitehill Welfare will not meet their current "Entry" status when they are next audited CSS were last reviewed in December, VoL in December and WW in October. Should any other these clubs fail their audit, then the probability will be that they will be given time (a derogation) to meet the requirements. It's "time" that hasn't been offered to Bonnyrigg, Tranent, Camelon, Haddington and St Andrews.
It's almost Brysonesque that a Licence can't be revoked without clubs being given the opportunity to put it right, while new applicants can't get their foot in the door because the SFA won't give them an appropriate amount of time to comply.
I hope that the five clubs get together and see if they can find a legal firm to represent them, on a "no win no fee" basis and seek compensation for all expenditure incurred in seeking to bring their facilities up to the required standard, in good faith, only for the SFA to move the goalposts, literally on the eve of the assessments.
What should have happened in December 2018 was that the SFA should have said that floodlights would become mandatory in 12 months time, allowing all licensed and unlicensed clubs time to to meet the new requirement, rather than the 16 hours notice that Bonnyrigg and Tranent got.
Bonnyrigg and all the other unlicensed clubs now face the dilemma of the same thing happening again in the next licensing round. Let's say they put up their floodlights then, the day before they are audited, the SFA puts out newly updated licensing criteria for 2020, but this time it requires a minimum of 100 seats under cover, which none of the the last group of applicants (successful and unsuccessful) have at present.
SFA not fit for purpose.
Some court action next week
LORD BRODIE – L McNamara, Clerk
Tuesday 14th May
By Order
A413/16 David Whitehouse &c v The Lord Advocate – A & W M Urquhart – SGLD
A court opinion for JC about the "sealed envelope", related to next week’s hearing.
http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/docs/default-source/cos-general-docs/pdf-docs-for-opinions/2019csoh38.pdf?sfvrsn=0
LAP = Legal Advice Privilege.
I've given some thought about how the SFA can resolve the Bonnyrigg (and others) situation.
The SFA could invoke one of their own precedents to get round the licensing problem, by issuing a "conditional membership". I haven't seen a documented process of how to obtain such a membership though, unless it is only written on the back of a few brown envelopes.
Apparently it was used once, a few years ago, to get round their own rules to permit a new club to join the SFL.
I'm sure it could be adapted for use and documented in a 4-way agreement between the SFA, the Lowland League, East of Scotland League and the club(s).
https://www.footyheadlines.com/2019/05/rangers-19-20-home-kit-not-allowed-by-uefa-kit-rules.html
………………..
Time to bring out that fourth kit again. What ever happened to last season’s fourth kit?
easyJambo 9th May 2019 at 18:38
'..A court opinion for JC about the "sealed envelope",
****************
Brilliant, eJ. I might have missed that.
I am happy that what I reported , however limited in scope, seems to relate accurately to some of what actually was said in court.
But what a belter of implied criticism of Counsel on both sides is this observation by Lord Brodie:
"I do not consider that these additional authorities have distracted me from the path delineated by parties’ submissions but, as is apparent from my opinion, I have looked at materials which were not referred to by the parties. I do not invite re-argument of the motion but if either party consider that they have been unfairly prejudiced by my reliance on any authority to which they did not refer I will consider their representations."
Geez, if your bloody QCs are not wholly 'learned in the Law', why would you pay them?
I think it is quite shocking that any QC should not know everything and every case precedent in a matter in respect of which he has accepted a brief to act.
For a judge to t be able to tell Counsel that he has read relevant material that they have not?
Doesn't say a lot for those QCs!
But quite a lot about the Judge.
Probably worth saying that, in 2012, there never was a vacancy in the SFL.
Sevco was admitted to the SFL (and played its first game against Brechin) when Dundee was still in the SFL and Rangers was still a member of the SPL.
Far from being a vacancy, there was an extra club in the system.
Many commentators have been ecstatic over the success of 4 EPL clubs reaching the finals of the UCL and EL. There is no doubt that the semi final matches were exciting to watch and have ensured a massive TV audience for the respective finals. Spare a thought for Ajax though. Despite all their efforts in getting to the semi-final they will have to start next season in the second qualifying round. Meanwhile, Atalanta, who have come fourth in Serie A, go straight into the group stages.
Champions League? You’re having a laugh.
Meanwhile back in Scotland, there’s still no sign of a new national manager and having been following the main thread on here the SFA continue to run roughshod over Scottish football with not a peep from the SMSM about it.
easyJambo 9th May 2019 at 22:24
I've given some thought about how the SFA can resolve the Bonnyrigg (and others) situation.
The SFA could invoke one of their own precedents to get round the licensing problem, by issuing a "conditional membership". I haven't seen a documented process of how to obtain such a membership though, unless it is only written on the back of a few brown envelopes.
Apparently it was used once, a few years ago, to get round their own rules to permit a new club to join the SFL.
I'm sure it could be adapted for use and documented in a 4-way agreement between the SFA, the Lowland League, East of Scotland League and the club(s).
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Brilliant EJ.
Scottish Football needs less rule changes at the 11th hour and more 'conditional memberships, and more Secret 4 Way Agreements to clean up what might otherwise be interpreted as a scam to get £2000 out of prospective Lowland League clubs who have their own grounds and don't want to share with Stirling Albion, Falkirk, Alloa, Gala or whoever.
Oh and a chief executive who can spell write or there will be compliants about his competence.
The SFA attitude to Bonnyrigg et al is a microcosm of the wider European attitude to smaller football nations. And nobody ever fights back. You reap what you sow.
John Clark
I've just read Lord Brodie's decision from the hearing on 9th April 2019 in David Whitehouse's action against the Lord Advocate including, at Page 23,:
"My response was to inquire, perhaps somewhat abruptly, "So what?"…"
I'm guessing that there was no "perhaps" about it?
https://twitter.com/ceresarabs/status/1126782740312014848?s=21
Don't worry about it, these things even themselves out over the season(s)
Ex Ludo @ 15:30
It's just as well that 'Rangers' mob went to the wall and we'll never have to witness that kind of sub-standard refereeing performance again …
Ex Ludo 10th May 2019 at 15:30
https://twitter.com/ceresarabs/status/1126782740312014848?s=21
Don't worry about it, these things even themselves out over the season(s)
================
I rewatched the highlights of this RFC V Dundee Utd on YouTube.
Then I watched Levein's emotional post match interview in full.
Bearing in mind this game was in May 2008 – 11 full years ago – what stood out for me was his assertion,
…that the sooner Scottish football gets referees "from somewhere else" the better!
https://twitter.com/agentscotland/status/1126918493776035841?s=21
Baku beyond.
HirsutePursuit 9th May 2019 at 23:45
31 2 Rate This
Probably worth saying that, in 2012, there never was a vacancy in the SFL.
……………….
And it is probably worth remembering spartans put their trust in Regan.
2012 was not a good year for spartans.
the Bonnyrigg (and others) should have seen how spartans were treated and expect the worse.
Sorry forgot link.
https://mobile.twitter.com/ClusterOne2/status/1126931313968275464?p=v
LUGOSI 10th May 2019 at 09:48
'….."My response was to inquire, perhaps somewhat abruptly, "So what?"…"
I'm guessing that there was no "perhaps" about it?
****************
And you guess correctly!
It was so 'So what-ish?" in tone that it made me jerk my head up to look at the Judge in surprise, and I believe there was a second or two of stunned silence, possibly embarrassment.
In fairness, I have heard other judges say 'so what?' but that's usually when they interrupt Counsel to say something like " so if you argue that x knew y, so what? How would it be relevant?"
Lord Brodie probably meant his 'so what?' in that way, but it came out wrongly. He realised this immediately, I think, and made an indirect apology later on in the proceedings.
HirsutePursuit 9th May 2019 at 23:45
"..Probably worth saying that, in 2012, there never was a vacancy in the SFL.
Sevco was admitted to the SFL (and played its first game against Brechin) when Dundee was still in the SFL and Rangers was still a member of the SPL.
Far from being a vacancy, there was an extra club in the system"
No 'probably' about it, HP, absolutely worth saying!
The perversity of the men in 'football governance' who created and propagated such a monstrously deceitful farce and dared to insult us all by such an abuse of office has stamped them indelibly for the rest of their lives (and they know it!) as really bad men, without integrity, honour or courage.
Worse than any participants in the 'saga' who were indicted on criminal charges and had the charges dropped or were found 'not guilty'
Worth also mentioning that them being placed any lower than League 2 couldn’t happen. From memory the options defaulted to league 2 if the vote to the championship failed.
John Clark 11th May 2019 at 00:16
6 1 Rate This
HirsutePursuit 9th May 2019 at 23:45
“..Probably worth saying that, in 2012, there never was a vacancy in the SFL.
Sevco was admitted to the SFL (and played its first game against Brechin) when Dundee was still in the SFL and Rangers was still a member of the SPL.
Far from being a vacancy, there was an extra club in the system”
No ‘probably’ about it, HP, absolutely worth saying!
……………………………
https://twitter.com/ClusterOne2/with_replies?lang=en
Only2Togo
@jduffin24
May 8
This was on the 22nd.. Conditional membership was granted on the 27th, game was played on the 29th, (should have been the 28th but bbc alba moved it) name change meeting was on the 31st.. So rangers* didn’t play that game.
https://twitter.com/cburleyespn/status/1126912896137560064?s=21
UEFA showing the SFA how to mess people around.
https://twitter.com/david_conn/status/1126749345494196227?s=21
You reap what you sow. In addition to the above Chelsea and Arsenal fans have been allocated 6000 tickets respectively. I wonder if anyone has the guts to propose a boycott.
Episode 52 of the new reality show;
"Who wants to be Scotland manager?"
The DR is 'reporting' the latest p!sh from Hampden.
Strong 'speculation' about McInnes taking over.
…even though he's allegedly being paid significantly more at Aberdeen – and he still has a year of his contract left.
But perhaps the salient point is hinted at by this sentence towards the end of the article;
"…The SFA are likely to make an approach for their top man within the next fortnight and the indication is that will happen once the domestic season is over…"
Within the next fortnight?!
But, the Cyprus game is next month.
The search for McLeish's successor should have been ramped up immediately after the Kazakhstan loss in March, which was 7 (seven) long weeks ago!
As a cynical Bampot I'm guessing the SFA will opt for the cheap option.
The SFA 'don't want to rush' the appointment, (
), and can't get a new man in place for the Cyprus game.
So, by default, Malky Mackay – and mibbees with Scott Gemmill assisting – will be interim manager.
And if he actually wins the game, then the SFA will launch a PR offensive via the SMSM copy / pasters that Mackay now 'deserves' the appointment.
I know…
https://twitter.com/jimspencesport/status/1127125148354646016?s=21
From the Couriers pre-eminent football correspondent. Sort of guy who could work at BBC Scotland.
Ex Ludo 11th May 2019 at 09:48
https://twitter.com/jimspencesport/status/1127125148354646016?s=21
From the Couriers pre-eminent football correspondent. Sort of guy who could work at BBC Scotland.
===============
Off the top of my head…
I'd guess that Jim Spence has found a more honest and impartial outlet at The Courier?
https://twitter.com/cdeccleshare/status/1127123628892540929?s=21
Maybe more applicable to a previous blog which asked the question “does money ruin football” but the above helps to provide an answer.
Ex Ludo 11th May 2019 at 16:38
'…a previous blog which asked the question “does money ruin football” .'
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Yes, of course it does, Ex Ludo.
Especially when fear and /or favouritism and /or F-in panic, allied with, perhaps, a historical ,cosy but criminal ,tendency to turn blind eyes to the sliding of money to an unentitled club, causes a sports governance body to abandon sporting integrity and create and propagate myths;
and also allows for the development of the brilliant concept that the wrong that one has done is not wrong for all the period of time that passes until the time it is discovered!
Dear God! that such minds exist as could come up with that concept is beyond belief!
Except , of course, that it is not a matter of 'belief.' It actually happened! There is a word for it, I believe, that ends in ' .sonism', but makes me want to spit if I write it in full.
JC@23.59 yesterday
Ah yes, the B word.
https://twitter.com/shaunjlawson/status/1127354162390474754?s=21
Rich man’s plaything.
Not going to talk about a game, but TRFC fully deserved their win.
The ref though?
Like many, I was confused as to why it was a yellow and not a red.
It happened only a few yards from the ref – and in his clear, unobstructed line of vision.
And if it was a foul, then why no penalty?
Lots of questions and confusion: just another, typical refereeing display in the top league of Scottish football.
[And I had previously thought that Clancy was one of the better refs…]
There’s a short article in today’s Observer by the Cash Editor highlighting the costs for tickets and travel to both UEFA finals. The prices are eye watering and it would appear that ticket tout websites have grabbed quite a few tickets for the games. It would be nice if UEFA could explain how that happened. Meanwhile the price of a return flight to Baku is around £1400. What a beautiful game UEFA are playing.
From The Guardian's match report . I wonder if it will be mentioned elsewhere
as the Rangers support celebrated; regularly in sectarian fashion, which Scotland’s football authorities give the impression they care little about with constant inaction.
Derek McInnes admits he was wrong to react to ‘sad Orange b*****d’ chants
The Aberdeen boss was sent to the stand for gesturing towards the Hoops support as they aimed bigoted taunts towards him.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/derek-mcinnes-speaks-out-celtic-14312583
……………………
I wonder if Neil Lennon will get the same coverage from the SMSM. NL did not react to the bigoted taunts aimed towards him but that should not hinder the smsm coverage of it.
I have no problem accepting today's defeat by Sevco, but what happened to 'Red Card, Red Card Ross' at the Flanagan incident? Suddenly struck dumb?
What was more worrying to me was the fact that my team (Champions) has failed to scored before the 40th minute in 7 of the last 9 League games. Too much 'tippy tappy' from the back?
Hurry back Griff!
I was today idly researching the history of Berwick Rangers [ and the stunning come-backs for Liverpool and Spurs should surely give them some hope that all is not yet lost in the battle against Cove Rangers ( of which our friend Alan McRae of the SFA was a few years ago a director)].
I came across this :
"Since 1482, though, Berwick-upon-Tweed has been an English town. It has changed hands on 14 occasions. But, thanks to the decisive away victory scored by Richard III and his chain-mailed team, it has been England's most northerly town for 517 years now.
It might have been different, but when the Rangers of Glasgow were humbled by the Rangers of Northumberland in a Scottish Cup first-round tie at Shielfield Park in 1967 the invading Scots chose to wreck the town rather than take it. In 1305 William Wallace's left arm was hung on the old town walls as a warning sign to other Caledonian bravehearts. In 1967 it was both arms of Jock Wallace that kept out the Scots. The future Ibrox manager was Berwick's goalkeeper and manager in their famous 1-0 victory."
1482 is just beyond my reach, I fear, but 1967 is most definitely imprinted in the memory cells, and not only in connection with the European Cup Final, but with that incredible win by Berwick Rangers.
Sadly, there was no headline as clever and powerful and to the point as the 'Sun's' brilliant " SuperCaleygoballisticceltic areatrocious"
Perhaps the then editorial staff of the 'Sun's' Scottish edition were supporters of the now dead club? 'plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose' kind of thing?
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-a-borderline-case-of-split-loyalties-1124090.html
(and if you scroll down to paras 9 and 10 there is an interesting little , unrelated to football, historical fact)
McCoist is now quoted in the DR insisting that TRFC buys "2 or 3 first team players" during the summer.
…from the guy who was pulling down an obscene salary of £750K+
– to manage an already cash-strapped club in the bottom league
– and against part-timers.
The guy has zero self-awareness and even less shame, IMO.
https://twitter.com/johnnythenic/status/1127863294595870720?s=21
Something to while away the hours whilst we’re all waiting for BIG MIKES hammer to fall.
John Clark 12th May 2019 at 23:00
I was today idly researching the history of Berwick Rangers [ and the stunning come-backs for Liverpool and Spurs should surely give them some hope that all is not yet lost in the battle against Cove Rangers ( of which our friend Alan McRae of the SFA was a few years ago a director)].
=============================
I've no great allegiances either way re the play-off. However, I think that it would be good for the guid folk of Aberdeen to have another club in the SPFL. I'm very much pro pyramid, so any change to the make-up of the SPFL is welcome.
It would also make the possibility of a local "wee Rangers" derby between Berwick (Lowland League) and their neighbours Tweedmouth (East of Scotland League). Their grounds at Shielfield and Old Shielfield are adjacent so they are, to the best of my knowledge the closest pair of grounds in senior football, only the width of a boundary wall apart..
II will attend the Whitehouse 'confidential envelope' damages case in the Court of Session tomorrow, but I think I'd be in the High Court of Chancery for this one:
ROLLS BUILDING
HEARING ROOM 3
Before SIR ROSS CRANSTON sitting as a Judge of the High Court
Tuesday 14 May 2019
At 02:00 PM
CL-2018-000722, CL-2018-000726 & CL-2019-000222 SDI Retail Services Limited v. The Rangers Football Club limited
mine of 14.25 today :the word 'rather' was accidentally omitted!
John Clark @14:25
'High Court of Chancery'
Just realised how aptly named this is.
StevieBC 13th May 2019 at 12:31
13 2 Rate This
McCoist is now quoted in the DR insisting that TRFC buys “2 or 3 first team players” during the summer.
…from the guy who was pulling down an obscene salary of £750K+
– to manage an already cash-strapped club in the bottom league
– and against part-timers.
The guy has zero self-awareness and even less shame, IMO.
………………………
https://mobile.twitter.com/ClusterOne2/status/1127975982634291205?p=v
……………..
£22million IPO share issue cash is gone
king’s predicting administration.
But McCoist insists gers need to.
Spend.
Spend.
Spend.
Aug 17, 2013
The more things change the more they stay the same.
The EFL have confirmed that Bolton will start next season with a 12-point deduction after going into administration.
……………
Interesting to see how the SMSM report this saga.
Wonder if Bolton will try and sign players while in administration?
“It has got to the stage where the Trust could not sit back and allow the club to go into liquidation. Decisive action had to be taken and the Trust believes the decision is in the best interests of Bolton Wanderers
…………………..
If only Bolton had a company thingy they can lay the blame at going into administration. The Trust could then sit back and allow that thingy to go into liquidation but not the club it will survive as long as it changes it’s name to The Bolton.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06rr2pf/episodes/downloads
Bolton Wanderers appoint administrators
https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/17636846.bolton-wanderers-appoint-administrators/
Bolton have announced the appointment of Paul Appleton and Asher Miller of David Rubin and Partners as the club's joint administrators.
Wanderers filed their notice of intention to appoint administrators last week after a recent winding-up order was adjourned at an Insolvency and Companies Court hearing in London.
"The decision was finally made for the appointments which it is hoped will ensure the continued existence of the club, one of the founding members of the Football League," read a club statement on their official website.
"It has got to the stage where the Trust could not sit back and allow the club to go into liquidation. Decisive action had to be taken and the Trust believes the decision is in the best interests of Bolton Wanderers."
Aldershot Town were the last EFL side to go into administration in 2013.
Administration would see Wanderers, currently managed by Phil Parkinson, begin next season in League One with a 12-point penalty.
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/bolton-wanderers-relegated-enter-administration-12-points-deduction-league-one-news-takeover-update-a8911891.html
Well, that wee trip to Parliament house was hardly worth the effort. Lasted about half an hour.
Lord Brodie reminded Mr Moynihan QC and Mr McKinlay QC that in his previous decision he had indicated that he had referred to cases that neither the pursuer nor the defender had cited in their submissions, and that he had said he would give them the opportunity to raise any matters.
Neither Counsel had anything to raise on that score, except that Mr McKinlay mentioned that in his submission the client receiving advice was the staff of the Crown Office, whereas the Lord Advocate was claiming to be the client.
And in those circumstances it was wholly reasonable to argue the point.
But even if in principle Privilege attached, it was still necessary for the pursuer to see the contents of the envelope.
Lord Brodie asked whether an award of expenses had been made.
Mr Moynihan remarked it would have to be contested in Court.
There was a brief interchange which I could not follow, that seemed to relate to expenses, so I've no idea whether any order was made.
More interesting, I hear from Whitehouse that 'The Herald' is to run a piece about the case sometime soon-perhaps this Wednesday or next Wednesday.
The main action Trial/Proof is scheduled for June 17th, I heard.(I thought it was the 18th, but Whitehouse should know, I suppose!)
The Herald's piece should make interesting reading, because of course the Crown Office admitted at the previous hearing that they 'had no evidential basis' and, as Whitehouse says, the Crown therefore did wrong when they arrested and detained him: can it be right in such circumstances that the Crown Office is immune?
https://twitter.com/bbcsport/status/1128211573871468544?s=21
UEFA getting tough with Man City over their financial conduct. We’ll see.
https://twitter.com/arthurstramash/status/1128304466623631360?s=21
Just to be clear, is the club or the company going into administration?
The Bolton Wanderers administration; the English Football League's statement
"The EFL will now commence discussions with the Administrators with the aim of achieving a long-term future for the club"
Surely they have asked to borrow the services of Doncaster and perhaps hire the (unemployed?) Regan to help them with constructing an 'agreement' along the lines of the iniquitous deceitful '5-Way Agreement' that was cobbled up for use when no purchaser of Rangers FC of 1872 could be found, and Charlie had a nice wee deal to buy the assets and found his own new football club?
As far as BBC NorthWest is concerned, I suspect that their football journalists and sports editors have more personal integrity than the general run of their counterparts in BBC Scotland.
As the season draws to a close, the outstanding disciplinary case against Old Rangers may well regain focus. What part has the 5YA played in the curious position that CAS is the first port of call. Have the SFA ceded their own sovereignty and role as guardians of the game and effectively neutered themselves in the war against corruption?
If so, why? And if they can abdicate their supremacy over member clubs, why so insistent on hiding behind them when fans demand accountability, as with Res12 people?
If supposition over 5YA is true, SFA have voluntarily divested themselves of any power to deal with one particular member club, whilst reserving the right to deal as autocratically as they like with the rest.
Guardians of the game indeed.
I see that UEFA and FIFA are investigating the FAI, Football Ass. of Ireland, on their practices and governance over the activities of their CEO.Would that they had a look at the SFA in a similar way.
Big Pink 15th May 2019 at 00:19
'….If supposition over 5YA is true, SFA have voluntarily divested themselves of any power to deal with one particular member club, whilst reserving the right to deal as autocratically as they like with the rest.'
==========================
Well, of course, BP, there is no 'supposition' about at least one aspect of the 5-Way Agreement:
it definitely included an assurance that the Football Authorities (the SFA and variously the SPL/SFL/SPFL) would happily and forevermore share a bed with the tart they newly admitted to the whorehouse , and lie to us all about that tart's origins, and try to make us believe that she is really the 140-year respectable, unsullied and much honoured matron of Scottish football who unfortunately died in 2012.
The fact that the governance body of a sport could sink so low as to lie about sporting records and achievements, and to accord a six-year-old club the sporting honours and entitlements that were won by a defunct sports club ,goes beyond farce and stupidity into cynical, deliberate and evil misuse of power( and make no mistake, abuse of power is evil)
Bad cess, and very bad cess, to those guilty men. They have stripped themselves of any personal honour and claim to integrity.
By every right, they should be stripped of any office in sport.
ThomTheThim 15th May 2019 at 10:19
Indeed TtT. There appears to be a readiness to confront alleged wrongdoing – even at the highest level – and yet the SFA have had a pass thus far.
I wonder how the 5YA – if it does cede sovereignty to CAS in respect of Old Rangers – sits constitutionally with their FIFA obligations?
Big Pink 15th May 2019 at 14:36
'…I wonder how the 5YA – if it does cede sovereignty to CAS in respect of Old Rangers – sits constitutionally with their FIFA obligations?'
===================
According to the Statutes, FIFA's objectives are:
• to improve the game of football constantly and promote it globally;
• to organise its own international competitions;
• to draw up regulations and provisions and ensure their enforcement;
• to control every type of association football;
• to safeguard the integrity of matches and competitions and prevent abuse.
It's pretty self-evident that a Sports Governance body that allows a sports club falsely to claim sporting achievements and honours that it could not possibly have earned in its 6-year lifespan has abused its office, and perverted the whole understanding of integrity in sporting competitions and how sporting merit is to be recognised.
FIFA should have been down on UEFA, and UEFA on the SFA like a ton of bricks right from the day the 5-Way Agreement was made public.
And I daresay the SFA's silence on the whole Res 12 investigation ,and its refusal either to tell TRFC Ltd to GTF or actually to refer the matter to CAS simply demonstrates fear and incompetence.
There has been dirty work done-and I believe they know it. I believe that , helped by the silence of at least one club, they are crossing their fingers and simply hoping that the issue will go away.
Their credibility as any kind of governance body has been blown to hell.
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